Chapter 61

After establishing the new class system, Justin prepared to return to his original stronghold. His immediate priority was bringing Zachary and Nathan’s family over to the newly conquered territory. Before departing, he entrusted the temporary role of lord to Rachel.

“I’m leaving this in your hands for now.”

“Do you really need to hand this over to me? You’ll be back soon enough.”

“You never know what could happen. If something unexpected comes up, you’ll need the authority to settle disputes.”

While the new class system ensured that the villagers wouldn’t dare challenge the pioneers, internal conflicts could still arise. Without proper authority, even minor skirmishes could spiral into larger issues. Rachel was the most logical choice—she was familiar with the territory and unlikely to betray him.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Be careful, though at this point, I doubt there’s anything around here that could threaten you.”

“You’re not wrong.”

With the monsters in the area reduced to nothing more than minor nuisances, there wasn’t any real danger left on the road. The real challenge would arise if Nox seized power during his absence. If the arrogant fool tried to oppose him with his newfound authority, Justin was confident in his ability to put him down.

As they left the settlement, the villagers—now thoroughly indoctrinated by the new class system—bowed deeply.

“G-Greetings, my lord.”

“Welcome, lord!”

Some were visibly terrified, others overly servile, bowing as deeply as their spines allowed. Despite the variety of reactions, the message was clear: fear and respect had fully taken root.

‘Now this is the beginning of a true class society.’

The sense of satisfaction was palpable as Justin looked back. His companions appeared equally pleased: Derek stood tall with pride, Ethan struggled to hide a smirk, and even the hesitant Nathan seemed more at ease with their newfound status.

They left the village, fully embraced as the highest tier of society.

The journey back was uneventful—an effortless sweep through any remaining monsters.

However, as they neared the settlement, loud arguments echoed from within.

“-What do you think you’re doing? Why are you interfering with our hunting?”

“-Interfering? You’re the ones following us around everywhere.”

“-We were here first! Stop lying!”

“-Funny how you didn’t even leave the base, but you’re so sure of what’s happening out there.”

Justin’s eyes narrowed at the familiar voices. Tensions had clearly escalated while he was away.

Pushing through the gathering crowd of villagers who had assumed him dead, he confronted the nearest bystander.

“What happened while I was gone?”

The villager sneered, his face twisted with disdain.

“Figure it out yourself, you pompous bastard.”

“What?”

“You shoved that damn class system down our throats, and now you want answers? Screw you!”

The man spat on the ground and jutted his chin upward, daring him to react. Similar glares followed from the surrounding villagers—resentment simmering just below the surface.

“I see. You don’t like the new system? Don’t worry. You’ll soon wish you had it back.”

“…What the hell does that mean?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

Ignoring the glares, Justin pushed through the crowd toward the center of the commotion.

There, Zachary and Nox were in the middle of a heated argument. While Zachary raged, Nox smiled smugly, brushing off the accusations.

“Enough of this! Why are you interfering with our hunts?”

“Interfering? Didn’t you hear me the first time? You’re the ones following us.”

“You bastard!”

“Easy now. What if we decide to start a little rebellion, huh?”

The veiled threat sent Zachary’s fury through the roof. Just as the argument teetered on the brink of violence, Justin stepped in.

“What’s going on here?”

Both men froze and turned toward him, their eyes widening in disbelief.

“Y-You’re alive?!” Zachary stammered.

“Why wouldn’t I be? We just spent a night outside the walls.”

Nathan’s family rushed toward their son with teary relief while Nox glared, his face slowly turning red with suppressed rage.

“I asked a question,” Justin repeated calmly.

“It’s nothing—just a little misunderstanding,” Nox sneered.

“Funny. Looks to me like you’re playing childish games, following them around like some schoolyard bully.”

“What did you just say?”

“You heard me. Stop acting like a brat.”

Ignoring the furious glare, Justin dropped the real bomb.

“By the way, I conquered the neighboring territory.”

The words hit the crowd like a hammer. Stunned silence swept through the villagers and pioneers alike. Even Zachary seemed shocked.

“Already?! But how? I thought you planned to start a war first?”

“Things worked out faster than expected.”

He left out the details of how easily the enemy leadership had collapsed—there was no need to share unnecessary information with this crowd.

“I’ve left a trusted ally as the temporary leader for now. Once I return, I’ll assume command. Will you be joining me?”

“What about their villagers?” Zachary asked, his voice low.

“Every last one of them addresses pioneers with proper respect. The class system’s fully in place.”

“In that case, let’s leave immediately. I’ll inform the others.”

“No rush. That territory isn’t going anywhere.”

As Zachary began explaining the situation to his followers, Nox stepped forward, face contorted in disbelief.

“You’re kidding me, right? Conquering a neighboring land—what is this nonsense?”

“It means you’ll finally get to be the leader here.”

“Are you messing with me?!”

“Nope. Enjoy it while you can.”

The temperature between them dropped further as the weight of the power shift became clear.

Soon after, Zachary returned, his expression serious.

“Everyone’s ready. They’re eager to leave this place behind.”

“Even the villagers?”

“All of them. No ties left here anymore.”

“Good. Gather your belongings and prepare to move out.”

“Most of what we have is stored in our inventories. Once I hand over the leadership, we’ll be ready to leave.”

“Perfect.”

As they prepared to depart, Justin couldn’t help but glance back at Nox—his future as a powerless ruler had just begun.

As soon as Zachary declared his intent to relinquish the position of leader, murmurs spread through the crowd of villagers.

Wasn’t the role of leader one of overwhelming authority? Why would anyone give up such power so willingly?

“W-Wait a minute! You’re stepping down? To whom?”

“Why does that concern you?” Zachary snorted dismissively. “You did nothing while I was the leader. Why care now? Planning to actually do something for once?”

His sarcasm cut deep. Realization dawned on the villagers’ faces—they had remained passive for too long. And now, they were about to suffer the consequences.